Hello, hello! Did you get a chance to check out my Christmas Plate Wall yesterday? If not you can see it HERE. I am in love with how it turned out, and in the post I tell you where I got every plate THIS YEAR, so if you like it you can grab the same plates on clearance next week! SCORE! As for today, let’s talk upcycling and how I gave my mom’s front door wreaths a much needed wreath makeover.
These are my mom’s wreaths.
Not horribly offensive by any means, but also just…..not cute. Not anymore.
She made the bows herself and everything, and I’m sure they were quite lovely and stylish in the early nineties when she made them. However, they are just plain outdated now.
I decided to give quite a few of her Christmas decorations a new look this year, since I helped my dad redecorate the entire main floor this year, and I’m glad I did. I know that she would have approved. (She passed away ten years ago after a long battle with breast cancer. She was a great, great woman. So strong yet so goofy and fun!)
My dad suggested we just chuck these wreaths and buy new ones, but I had a better idea. He has no creativity whatsoever. I saw that they had potential and immediately headed out to stock up on felted ornaments and garlands that I had seen at Target. I got a million options so that I could play and then return the extras. It’s my way. I always like to have lots of options at my fingertips. Here’s proof…..
To begin the upcycling wreath makeover process I removed all of the “extras” on the wreath. Luckily, she made it herself, so it wasn’t all glued together or attached in any permanent way. She had used wire to twist the garlands to a wire wreath form, and then she used wire to group together the pinecones and balls and twist those to the form as well. Finally, she made the bow and wired it to the wreath form as well. It made it incredibly simple to take apart. Thanks, Mom!
I decided to spray the fake evergreen with “snow” that I found in the back of her craft cupboard. It is so old that it was bought for NINETY-NINE CENTS at Hobby Lobby. Ummm…..wow.
It didn’t come out all that well after all of these years, which is not shocking in the slightest, but it did come out enough to give the wreaths a “misting” of snow. I could have bought more somewhere I’m sure, but I was feeling lazy and wanted to be done with it. I hate—and I mean HATE—dragging my kids into stores. I try to avoid it at all costs! That’s why I’m something of a craft supply hoarder. I like to have everything on hand at all times. It’s a problem. My friend Stephanie came “shopping” here the other day for stuff to make her girls headbands for Christmas. I had what she needed. Shocker. 😉
Anyway….back to the wreaths. Here is what they look like with their “misting” of snow. A little better.
Time to add yummy felt stuff! I love felt balls. LOVE EM! In fact, I have a whole line of felted wool ball items in my Etsy shop, Bombshell Bling Jewelry. They are some of my best sellers! I was going to make a garland if I had to, but I was pretty pumped to see some premade at Target. SCORE! I started by laying them out on the wreath form and messing around with them until I liked the layout. At this point I also chose ornaments from my bag of options and laid them out where I liked them as well.
Then I just took pieces of garland and twisted them around the garland every once in a while, as shown below.
Next I attached the ornaments. First I cut off their strings/hangers, and then I laid them where I wanted them to be and twisted the garlands around parts of them in the same way as I had done for the garlands.
I got the Santa Clause ornament at Target, but the reindeer is actually from World Market.
I love how they turned out. My kids are totally smitten with them. Fun, whimsical, and festive, dontcha think?
Let’s take one last look to compare the two, just for fun.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Do you like my wreath makeover? If so maybe you should head to Target (and World Market) this week and grab some supplies on clearance for next year’s wreaths!
Be sure to come back tomorrow (or Monday if I can’t get around to it sooner) for the Christmas home tour of our home. It’s not decorations that will ever be in a magazine, but it’s a collection of fun, colorful cheer from three generations of feisty, colorful women, and I love it that way!
Have a great day!
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The wreaths turned out so cute!! You did an awesome job on them!!
Love the wreath update. Mine is definitely getting a makeover next year!